The Walking Seminar is an monthly walk, hosted by Annemarie Mol, during which we talk-walk about various issues concerning academic work. The idea is that talking-while-walking enhances thinking in ways not attainable behind a desk or in a seminar sitting down.

maandag 21 februari 2011

fields...

Breukelen turns out to be the adequate place for walking in winter, when it has a lot of wind (like three weeks ago) or when it is cold (like last week).

Three weeks ago we discussed questions arising from the relation of 'the researcher' and 'observing in the field'.

- which ﬁeld(s) do you go to in order to do your research? how do you get it contact with your ﬁeld? - how do you present yourself? and what do you answer if your informants ask for "the results" of your project? -and, for those of who are further on in their trajectory: have you had informants reading your texts? what happens? what is there to learn from their reactions? - which problems arise during ﬁeld work? what do your informants tell you? what do they show you without telling? what do they keep secret? what shifts between interviews and observations? - how do you handle such problems? - and what do the problems you encounter teach you about your research object/topic?

Last week the discussion centered around the relation of 'the researcher' and the 'academic field'.

How to 'use others', or how to mobilise human resources- Who do you talk with when you need inspiration?- Who do you ask for feedback?- How do you draw on your friends?- And how on colleagues (a) nearby and (b) far away (c) from your own research field (d) who work on different things (e) in different theoretical traditions- How do you mobilise informants? Just to inform you, or also for feedback?- Who do you talk to at conferences? To which sessions do you go, who do you have dinner with, etc.- How do you decide to which conferences you go?